We Shall Be Free
by Miss Meggie
Summary: DTBH Leland Fic- Anna/Leland Series *Carter's Story*


**AN: I do not know Leland Chapman or anyone related with the show! I mean no harm by anything this is just for fun! I own nothing but my stories and original characters. Enjoy! Please review. -Meghan**

**This ain't comin' from no prophet **

**Just an ordinary man **

**When I close my eyes I see **

**The way this world shall be **

**When we all walk hand in hand **

**When the last child cries for a crust of bread **

**When the last man dies for just words that he said **

**When there's shelter over the poorest head **

**We shall be free **

**When the last thing we notice is the color of skin **

**And the first thing we look for is the beauty within **

**When the skies and the oceans are clean again **

**Then we shall be free **

**We shall be free **

**We shall be free **

**Stand straight, walk proud **

**'Cause we shall be free **

**When we're free to love anyone we choose **

**When this world's big enough for all different views **

**When we all can worship from our own kind of pew **

**Then we shall be free **

**We shall be free **

**We shall be free **

**Have a little faith **

**Hold out **

**'Cause we shall be free **

**And when money talks for the very last time **

**And nobody walks a step behind **

**When there's only one race and that's mankind **

**Then we shall be free **

**We shall be free **

**We shall be free **

**Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith, hold out **

**We shall be free **

**We shall be free **

**We shall be free **

**Stand straight, have a little faith **

**We shall be free **

**I am nothing special I am just an ordinary man with common dreams. I have loved the same woman for more than twenty years. She is setting beween the graves of our oldest child and her brother. The grave of her first love is behind her she has lost much in this life and we face the possibility of losing our son as he deploys to a forgein contry to defend our freedoms. That is how she lost her brother years before in the Iraq war. war has broken out in that country again. I know she is overwhelmed with an unsettling sense of deja vu.**

**" He has to go you know it's his job he wanted to defend our country following in Luke's foot steps."**

**"Doesn't mean I have to like it... I can't lose another child especially that way it almost killed my mother losing Luke that way." I know ." he stepped into the small grave yard sitting behind her he pulled her into his lap. "So how do we do this send our baby off to a warzone?" "The same way you sent your brother off with faith..." "My brother ended up dead..." "War has it's casulities baby... We have to hope and pray Carter won't be one of them."**

**a few days later **

**Carter was preparing to leave he had gotten a new tattoo one that would provide some form idenification if the need should a rise. over his heart he had the words My Mother's Name Is Annalise Chapman written in a neatly feminine scrawl. he had no girlfriend so his mother's name was the obviuos choice. when he showed her tears clouded her eyes and she whispered to him to "be careful." "Okay Carter Levi you go that uniform and I will iron it!" "Mama..." "I know son I just need to keep busy ok."**

**We are sending him off today and I am just as scared as my wife though I can't allow myself to show the fear. in the military they say sheding tears and showing fear when sending someone off is bad luck. So we all try to hold ourselves in check. he's a marine combat medic his need to heal people being put use but placing him in grave danger everyday. Anna and I both try to keep those thoughts out of our heads. as I watch Anna clings to him for a few more moments I realise we are unsucessful in keeping those thoughts and tears at bay as Dylan cries in earnest. I pull him into a tight hug "Be safe son, get in touch when you can I love you and am extremely proud of you." "I will I love you too dad." I watch with a mix of pride and awe as he as says goodbye to each of his siblings when he got to my youngest dylan he picked her up and held her close when anna went to take the nine year old girl from him he shook his head no and mouthed I've got it. "Hey stinker bell its gonna be ok I promise..." she hugged him tight burying her face in his shoulder "I'm going to miss you..." she whispered " He swallowed around the lump in his throat "I'll miss you too and I love you I'm coming back so don't worry Dilly." he kissed her cheek and put her down. Dylan has always been Carter's girl. they were bonded deeply maybe more than with thier other siblings. he kissed his mother one last time then dropped a kiss on three year old Briar's forehead I hugged him again then he turned waving over his shoulder at all of us. He winked at his mama then got on the plane that would carry him to danger...**

**three months later **

**Mama,**

**I'm sorry its been so long since I last wrote you. I've been going into the villiages and vaccinating kids as well as fixing them up here and there I haven't been needed as much in combat lately though unfortunately I'm sure that will soon change if its calm here it means something bad is about to go down. Can you send me more beanie babies I like giving them to kids I treat. In those moments that I don't understand why we are here and I long for home. I think of hawaii sunsets and the sounds of the ocean waves. I miss silence mama its not quite here and even if for a few moments it is. Its quickly punctacted with explosives detonating. Please send everyone my love How is everyone fill me in! I enclosed letters to everyone also... Tell Dylan I got the lifesavers she sent me... Ha Mom thats kind of Ironic.. they were melted but I stuck them in the fridge for the meds... they tasted fine! Well Mama I gotta go they need me... but just so you know I love you all more now than when I left home.**

**Love,**

**Carter**

**P.S. Don't worry Mama I'm fine...**

**a few weeks later Leland recieved an email**

**Dad,**

**I'm not having a good day. I try ot keep the depth of brutality I see from everyone. so I don't worry them I am just now coming to understand the depravity of war it is the most evil thing I have witnessed or taken part in. I am tired of having to pick my brothers up out of muddy puddles of thier own blood... I lose them sometimes and its hard because in the moment I am trying to convince myself we have done all we can do I realise that uniformed soliders will show up at thier mother's door and say her son has given his life for his contry...we all try to comfort ourselves with the thing that keeps us all going we are serving our country and this is what we understood might happen when we signed that dotted line and so anyways... I almost lost a young Iraqi girl today she was Briar's age 4 at the most she was shot by insugents for waving at a fellow solider... why did they have to do that in return for such an innocent innocuous act. I stayed with her all the way through to recovery much to CO's dismay cleaning her up holding her hand and singing her silly songs she placed her trust in me so I couldn't leave her! I understand that the spoils and carnage of war are side effects of our freedom and that by doing this we keep our frredom and free other countries but it doesn't mean I have to like it we do what we do so that people are free to pray, believe, speak, and love as we please. it's worth it but sometimes I get a little lost thanks for listening or reading rather I love you Carter!**

**months later**

**My son came home safetly and in one piece at least physically but he's changed some he's more somber and seems haunted at times by demons he won't or can't share and he did it all so that we shall be free. I'm more greateful for my freedoms now. Carter will be himself again in time I know. Just as I know he can hold his head up walk straight and proud because he did what few are brave enough to do!**

**AN you can actually donate beanie babies for soliders to give to iraq kids i didnt come up with that just go here: beanies for Baghdad (dot) com**


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